Interesting Sights in Parque de Maria Luisa

Andalucia » Seville » Parque de Maria Luisa

Parque de Marķa Luisa
(a photo by asw909)

Maria Luisa, the duchess of Montpensier, gave as a gift the larger part of her enormous private estate Palacio de San Telmo to the city of Seville in 1893. The Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929 was held here and the park is rich in architectural monuments. You can choose for a starting point of your tour Palacio de San Telmo, built in 1734 as the first marine school and turned later into the family residence of the dukes of Montpensier. Now it houses the headquarters of Andalucia government. The imposing Fabrica de Tabacos, a former tobacco factory, now a part of the Seville University. A number of paths and alleys cross the park, connecting the structures built for the Ibero-American Exhibition. Today, each of these buildings has a new function - consulate, museum, art school, flamenco school and even police department

Plaza de España
(a photo by revertebrate)

The Spanish pavilion rises with a magnificent brilliance at the semi-circular square of Plaza de España. For the constructing of this unique and huge masterpiece of the Neo-Andalusian Baroque were used a prodigal quantity of bricks and hand-made decorated ceramic plates. The pavilion was designed by Hannibal Gonzales. Each Spanish province is represented by an important event from its history depicted on ceramic plates. The building is surrounded by a water canal crossed by three beautiful bridges. You should see the gorgeous Mudejar ceilings on the side staircases of the pavilion.

Two museums can be found about 300 m south of Plaza de España. Museo de Artes y Costumbres Populares is housed in a splendid Mudejar pavilion. On the first floor is exposed a rich ceramics collection and on the second one - furniture and costumes. Museo Archeologico is an attractive Plateresque pavilion showing a great collection of Phoenician sculptures, Iberian gold treasures, Roman art and Mudejar ceramics.